1. Forensic Anthropology
In Forensics, analyzing bones is important for identification of a possible victim or suspect.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

2. Forensic Anthropology
Anthropology— The scientific study of the origins and behavior as well as the physical, social, and cultural development of humans.
Study tools, languages, traditions, and social interactions
Physical anthropology—studies human differences
Forensic anthropology—studies these identifying characteristics on the remains of an individual
These characteristics can be used to help identify gender, race, height, and physical health of the victim
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

3. Historical Development
Soldiers killed in World War II are identified using anthropologic techniques
DNA—new tool to analyze skeletons
DNA found in the mitochondria of the cells
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

4. Characteristics of Bone
Bones are alive
They breath via cellular respiration and consume energy like any other living cell
Marrow—creates blood cells
Bones are regulated by hormones that effect the amount of calcium in the blood and the hard part of bones
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

5. Development of Bone Bones originate from a cell called osteoblast.
During development of the fetus, bones begin as soft cartilage
Ossification then occurs this is when the cell Osteoblast migrate to the center of the cartilage and deposit minerals, such as calcium phosphate that hardens to become bone
Occurs during the first few weeks of pregnancy
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

6. Development of Bone
By the 8th week of pregnancy the outline of the skeleton has formed and can be seen by x-ray
As bone develop, a protective membrane called periosteum, keeps the bone moist and aids in the repair of injuries
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

7. Development of Bone
Life cycle of bone is : bone is deposited, brakes down, and replaced
When an arm or leg is broken, the blood vessels at the area increase calcium phosphate deposition to help heal the break
Newly trapped osteoblast (where bones originated from) are now called osteocytes and they form the new bone framework
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

8. Development of Bone
Osteoclast (the 2nd type of bone cell) dissolve bones
As layers and layers of calcium phosphate are adding to a growing bone it may not hold its shape
Osteoclast secrete enzymes that help dissolve certain areas of the bone
Osteoclast removes cellular waste and debris from bone
When bones become injure it dissolved the injured part so new bone can grow
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

9. Development of Bone
Osteoporosis – weakening of bone, which may happen if there is not enough calcium in the diet
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

10. How Bones Connect Joint is the location where bones meet
Joint contain three kinds of connective tissue
Cartilage
Ligaments
Tendons
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

11. How Bones Connect
cartilage—wraps the ends of bones for protection and prevents scraping
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

12. How Bones Connect
ligaments—bands that connect two or more bones together
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

13. How Bones Connect tendons—connect muscle to bone
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

14. Aging of Bone
Before the age of 30 bones are being made at a faster rated than that of bones being broken down – bone growth
After 30 the process reverses
Bones deteriorate faster than what they are being built
Exercise slows deterioration
Without exercise bones can becomes frail and less dense, prone to braking
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

15. What Bones Can Tell Us
Osteobiography—The physical record of a person’s life as told by his or her bones
Examples:
In a right-handed person, right arm bones might be slightly larger than the bones of the left arm
X-rays may identify prior fractures, pins, artificial joints
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

16. What Bones Can Tell Us
The number of bones and their conditions can tell an investigator about a person’s:
age
health
whether they had enough calcium in their food
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

17. Gender Determination from Bones
The over appearance of female skeleton tends to be much smoother than male which tent to be more knobby or robust
A males skeleton is usually thicker, rougher, and appears quite bumpy
Bones are thicker because male hormones and bigger muscles need a bigger bone to hold to
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

18. https://youtu.be/Nc5IRj3OJhE
1- Coronal Structure
2- Frontal bone
3- Nasal bone
4- Maxilla
5- Mandible
6- Zygomatic complex
7- Occipital protuberance
8- Lambdoid suture
9- Parietal bone
10- Squamous suture
1- Mandible
2- Maximila
3- Zygomatic
4- Orbits of the eye
5- Coronal suture
6- Frontal
7- Parietal
8- Temporal
9- Nasal
10-Vomer
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

19. Gender - Skull The male skull is bigger and bumpier than female skull
The male’s lower jaw is square with an angle of about 90 degree
The female’s lower jaw is sloped with an angle grater than 90 degree
Male’s chin also tend to have square chins while Female’s tend to have rounder more V-shape chin
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

20. Female Characteristics
Gender—Skull
Male Characteristics
Trait
Female Characteristics
More square
Shape of eye
More rounded
Mandible shape from underside
More V-shaped
Thick and larger
Upper brow ridge
Thin and smaller
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

21. Female Characteristics
Gender—Skull
Male Characteristics
Trait
Female Characteristics
Present
Occipital protuberance
Absent
Low and sloping
Frontal bone
Higher and more rounded
Rough and bumpy
Surface of skull
Smooth
Straight
Ramus of mandible
Slanting
Nuchal crest ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

22. Gender—Skull Is the female skull smoother than the male’s?
yes
Which frontal bone is lower and sloping?
male
Are the male’s eye orbits more circular? no
Which jaw is more square, with an angle that is closer to 90o?

23. Gender—Pelvis
Using the pelvis is one of the easiest method to identify the gender of skeleton remains
The surface of a woman’s pelvis will appear to have scares if she has given birth before
During the 4th month of pregnancy tendons in the pelvic are soften by hormones preparing for the birth
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

24. Gender—Pelvis 1- Joint 2- ileum 3- Sacrum 4- Coccyx 5-Joint 6- Ischium
7- Pubis symphysis
8- Obturator foramen
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

25. Gender—Pelvis
The sub pubic angle of the female pelvis is greater than 90o; the male’s is less
The female pelvic cavity has an oval shape with the sacrum shorter, broader, and curved outward
The male Pelvic cavity has a heart shape, with a sacrum that is longer, narrower, and curved inward
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

26. Gender—Thigh bones
The male femur is thicker and joins the pelvis at a straighter angle than the female femur
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

27. Determining age
The age of a person can be determine by examining particular bones and by looking for the presence or absence of cartilage
The skull is used because of the appearance of suture mark that close at different age
As ossification (hardening of bones) happens the suture marks disappear
Long bones can also be used to determine age by analyzing if its fused to the shaft
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

28. Age—Skull
By about age 30, Lambdoidal suture, the suture at the back of the skull closes
The closing begins at age 21 and accelerate at age 26
By about age 32, Sagittal suture, the suture running across the top of the skull, back to front, closes
By about age 50, the Coronal suture, the suture running side to side over the top of the skull, near the front, closes
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

29. Age—Skull
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

30. Age https://youtu.be/xXgZap0AvL0
At birth—450+ bones in the skeleton
Adults— 206 bones
Epiphysis line—appears where cartilage is replaced by bone
When the cartilage is fully replaced, the line is no longer visible
This information can be used to approximate a skeleton’s age
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

31. Age—Epiphysis
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

32. Age— Epiphysis
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

33. Age
As infant - more cartilage and less calcium phosphate is present, there are more bones that will eventually grow and fuse together.
Ossification is the process of bone growth, old bone and cartilage is broken down and replaced by cells called osteoblast
They secrete enzymes that dissolve old bone before the new one can be lay down
The calcium phosphate needed to strengthen bone is delivered by the blood vessels
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

34. Height
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

35. How to Distinguish Race
Shape of the eye sockets
Absence or presence of a nasal spine
Measurements of the nasal index
The ratio of the with of the nasal opening to the height of the opening, multiplies by 100
Prognathism
The projection of the upper jaw, or maxilla, beyond the lower jaw
Width of the face
Angulation of the jaw and face
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

36. Eye orbit: Nasal index: Femur:
African – rectangular
Asian – rounded (circle)
Caucasian – rounded (square)
Nasal index:
African – >0.53
Asian –
Caucasian – < 0.48
Femur:
African – fingers don’t fit under curve
Asian –fingers will fit
Caucasian – fingers will fit
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

37. Facial Reconstruction https://youtu.be/HxZ4wcTQrx4
Facial muscles follow the contour of the skull
A face can be rebuilt from just skeletal remains
Facial markers are positioned at critical locations
Clay is contoured to follow the height of the markers
Computer programs perform a similar function
Computer programs also can “age” missing persons and criminals
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

39. DNA Evidence
Bone contains little nuclear DNA but it does contain mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA is DNA found in the mitochondrial that is inherited only through mothers
Nuclear DNA degenerates before mitochondrial DNA
Compare results with living relatives on the mother’s side of the family
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

40. Skeletal Trauma Analysis
Bones exposed to the elements for long period of time are often damage by wreathing and animals
Forensic anthropologists determine if damage to bones occurred before or after death
Distinct patterns exist for damage by
Environment
Sharp-force trauma
Blunt-force trauma
Gunshot wounds
Knife wounds
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

41. Skeletal Trauma Analysis
Skeletal trauma analysis attempts to make distinctions between the patterns caused by weapons and the damage and wear cause by environment
The strength of bones decreases as it ages and dries out
Living bones usually shatter in a spiral pattern parallel to the length; old bones often beak perpendicular to the length
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13

42. Blunt force trauma Gunshot Sharp force trauma
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 13